It all started with a visit from a far-flung friend. Jocelyn Gaudi, the marketing manager at Portland Design Works, had a special guest visiting from Sweden who was looking for an adventure. So Gaudi rallied the troops and invited ten women to join her for a fat bike trip to the Oregon Dunes. The naturally wet November weather on the Oregon coast miraculously parted ways and an amazing weekend of adventure and exploring unfolded.

Photo by Donnie Kolb.

Gaudi knew she had formed the kernel of something special, and over a long winter of planning, organizing and persuading the foundation of the new Komorebi Cycling Team was formed. An untranslatable Japanese word, komorebi roughly means the light shining through the leaves of trees. It’s an apt description for the team’s goal of inspiring women around the world to ride their bikes to places they never thought possible.

Photo by Adam Newman.

You can keep up with the adventures of the Portland-based team through its website. The team’s first official trip is May 8-9, so keep an eye out for updates.